System capable of booting through a universal serial bus device and method thereof

ABSTRACT

A system capable of booting through a Universal Serial Bus device includes a Universal Serial Bus port, an embedded controller, a platform control hub, and a basic input/output system. The embedded controller is used for generating a boot signal when the system is powered off and at least one Universal Serial Bus device is plugged into the Universal Serial Bus port. The platform control hub is woken up according to the boot signal. The basic input/output system has boot sequence setting values. The basic input/output system first starts to boot the at least one Universal Serial Bus device through the platform control hub according to the boot sequence setting values when the basic input/output system is woken up according to the boot signal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a system and method thereof, andparticularly to a system capable of booting through a Universal SerialBus device and method thereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the prior art, when a user wants to power on a host, the user needsto press a power button of the host. Then, a basic input/output systemof the host can turn on devices within the host and peripheral devicescoupled to the host in turn according to a signal generated by the powerbutton and boot sequence setting values stored in the basic input/outputsystem, where the host usually starts booting a hard disc of the hostfirst.

However, when the user wants to use the host and the host is poweredoff, the user may waste much time locating the power button of the host.Then, the user presses the power button of the host, and the host canfirst start booting the hard disc of the host according to the bootsequence setting values. In addition, as cloud technology advances, thehost may not have the hard disc, so the host booting the hard disc firstmay not be compatible with a future trend toward the cloud technology.

To sum up, the host booting the hard disc first is not only inconvenientfor the user, but may also fail to be compatible with the future trendtoward the cloud technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment provides a system capable of booting through a UniversalSerial Bus device. The system includes a Universal Serial Bus port, anembedded controller, a platform control hub, and a basic input/outputsystem. The embedded controller is coupled to the Universal Serial Busport for generating a boot signal when the system is powered off and atleast one Universal Serial Bus device is plugged into the UniversalSerial Bus port. The platform control hub is used for being woken upaccording to the boot signal. The basic input/output system is coupledto the platform control hub and the embedded controller. The basicinput/output system has boot sequence setting values, and the basicinput/output system first starts to boot the at least one UniversalSerial Bus device through the platform control hub according to the bootsequence setting values when the basic input/output system is woken upaccording to the boot signal.

Another embodiment provides a method capable of booting through aUniversal Serial Bus device. The method includes an embedded controllergenerating a boot signal when the system is powered off and at least oneUniversal Serial Bus device is plugged into a Universal Serial Bus port;waking up a platform control hub and a basic input/output systemaccording to the boot signal; the basic input/output system firststarting to boot the at least one Universal Serial Bus device throughthe platform control hub according to boot sequence setting values.

The present invention provides a system capable of booting through aUniversal Serial Bus device and method thereof. The system and themethod utilize an embedded controller to generate a boot signal when thesystem is powered off and at least one Universal Serial Bus device isplugged into a Universal Serial Bus port. Then, a basic input/outputsystem can start to boot the at least one Universal Serial Bus devicefirst through a platform control hub according to changed boot sequencesetting values. Thus, a user can plug a Universal Serial Bus device intothe system to power on the system very conveniently, instead of wastingmuch time to locate a power button of the system. In addition, thesystem may not have a hard disc as cloud technology advances, so thepresent invention can also be compatible with a future trend toward thecloud technology.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt becomeobvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiment that isillustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system capable of booting through aUniversal Serial Bus device according an embodiment.

FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 are diagrams illustrating logic voltage variation ofthe General Purpose I/O pin.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a system capable of booting through aUniversal Serial Bus device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method capable of booting through aUniversal Serial Bus device according to another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system 100capable of booting through a Universal Serial Bus device according anembodiment. The system 100 includes a Universal Serial Bus port 102, anembedded controller 104, a platform control hub 106, and a basicinput/output system 108. The embedded controller 104 is coupled to theUniversal Serial Bus port 102 through a General Purpose I/O pin 110 forgenerating a boot signal BS when the system 100 is powered off, anexternal device booting function of the embedded controller 104 isenabled and at least one Universal Serial Bus device is plugged into theUniversal Serial Bus port 102. The platform control hub 106 is used forbeing woken up according to the boot signal BS, where the GeneralPurpose I/O pin 110 can be coupled to any pin of 8 pins of the UniversalSerial Bus port 102. The basic input/output system 108 is coupled to theplatform control hub 106 and the embedded controller 104. A memory 1082of the basic input/output system 108 has boot sequence setting valuesBSSV, and the boot sequence setting values BSSV store a code of at leastone device coupled to the system 100. The basic input/output system 108can change the boot sequence setting values BSSV according to theexternal device booting function of the embedded controller 104, or thebasic input/output system 108 can change the boot sequence settingvalues BSSV according to the boot signal BS. When the basic input/outputsystem 108 is woken up according to the boot signal BS, the basicinput/output system 108 can first start to boot the at least oneUniversal Serial Bus device through the platform control hub 106according to changed boot sequence setting values. Then, the basicinput/output system 108 turns on devices within the system 100 andperipheral devices coupled to the system 100 in turn according to thechanged boot sequence setting values.

Please refer to FIG. 2 to FIG. 5. FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 are diagramsillustrating logic voltage variation of the General Purpose I/O pin 110.When the system 100 is powered off, the system 100 still has S5 poweraccording to a specification of an advanced configuration and powerinterface (ACPI). Therefore, when a Universal Serial Bus device isplugged into the Universal Serial Bus port 102, the General Purpose I/Opin 110 can generate logic voltage variation according to the S5 power.As shown in FIG. 2, the logic voltage variation of the General PurposeI/O pin 110 is variation from a logic-low voltage LLV to a logic-highvoltage LHV, and the logic-high voltage LHV is higher than a firstpredetermined value FPV. As shown in FIG. 3, the logic voltage variationof the General Purpose I/O pin 110 is variation from the logic-lowvoltage LLV to the logic-high voltage LHV, and the logic-high voltageLHV is higher than the first predetermined value FPV for a firstpredetermined period T1. As shown in FIG. 4, the logic voltage variationof the General Purpose I/O pin 110 is variation from the logic-highvoltage LHV to the logic-low voltage LLV, and the logic-low voltage LLVis lower than a second predetermined value SPV. As shown in FIG. 5, thelogic voltage variation of the General Purpose I/O pin 110 is variationfrom the logic-high voltage LHV to the logic-low voltage LLV, and thelogic-low voltage LLV is lower than the second predetermined value SPVfor a second predetermined period T2. Therefore, the embedded controller104 can generate the boot signal BS according to the logic voltagevariation of the General Purpose I/O pin 110.

In addition, when a plurality of Universal Serial Bus devices areplugged into the Universal Serial Bus port 102 simultaneously, the basicinput/output system 108 starts to boot one Universal Serial Bus deviceof the plurality of Universal Serial Bus devices first through theplatform control hub 106 according to changed boot sequence settingvalues and port sequence of the Universal Serial Bus port 102.

Please refer to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a system 600capable of booting through a Universal Serial Bus device according toanother embodiment. A difference between the system 600 and the system100 is that the embedded controller 104 is coupled to the UniversalSerial Bus port 102 through a logic circuit 612. As shown in FIG. 6, thelogic circuit 612 is an AND gate. The logic circuit 612 has a firstinput terminal coupled to a pin of the Universal Serial Bus port 102, asecond input terminal coupled to another pin of the Universal Serial Busport 102, and an output terminal coupled to the embedded controller 104.When a Universal Serial Bus device is plugged into the Universal SerialBus port 102, the first input terminal and the second input terminal ofthe logic circuit 612 can generate first logic voltage variationsaccording to the S5 power, and the output terminal of the logic circuit612 can output a second logic voltage variation according to an ANDlogic operation and the first logic voltage variations. Therefore, theembedded controller 104 can generate a boot signal BS according to thesecond logic voltage variation of the output terminal of the logiccircuit 612. Further, subsequent operational principles of the system600 are the same as those of the system 100, so further descriptionthereof is omitted for simplicity. In addition, the present invention isnot limited to the logic circuit 612 being an AND gate, that is, thelogic circuit 612 can be another logic circuit. Therefore, anygenerating of a boot signal BS by the embedded controller 104 accordingto logic voltage variation of an output of a logic circuit falls withinthe scope of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a methodcapable of booting through a Universal Serial Bus device according toanother embodiment. The method in FIG. 7 is illustrated using the system100 in FIG. 1 and the system 600 in FIG. 6. Detailed steps are asfollows:

Step 700: Start.

Step 702: The external device booting function of the embeddedcontroller 104 is enabled.

Step 704: The system 100 is powered off.

Step 706: When the system 100 is powered off and at least one UniversalSerial Bus device is plugged into the Universal Serial Bus port 102, theembedded controller 104 generates a boot signal BS.

Step 708: The platform control hub 106 and the basic input/output system108 are woken up according to the boot signal BS.

Step 710: The basic input/output system 108 first starts to boot the atleast one Universal Serial Bus device through the platform control hub106 according to changed boot sequence setting values.

Step 712: End.

In Step 702, a user can enable the external device booting function ofthe embedded controller 104 of the system 100. Because the externaldevice booting function of the embedded controller 104 can be effectiveafter the system 100 is re-powered on, the user needs to power off thesystem 100 in Step 704. In Step 706, the embedded controller 104generates the boot signal BS according to logic voltage variation of theGeneral Purpose I/O pin 110 (as shown in FIG. 1), where the GeneralPurpose I/O pin 110 is coupled to any pin of the 8 pins of the UniversalSerial Bus port 102. When at least one Universal Serial Bus device isplugged into the Universal Serial Bus port 102, the General Purpose I/Opin 110 can generate the logic voltage variation according to the S5power. Therefore, the embedded controller 104 can generate the bootsignal BS according to the logic voltage variation of the GeneralPurpose I/O pin 110. In addition, the logic voltage variations of theGeneral Purpose I/O pin 110 are shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 5, so furtherdescription thereof is omitted for simplicity. In another embodiment ofthe present invention, the embedded controller 104 generates a bootsignal BS according to logic voltage variation of the output terminal ofthe logic circuit 612 (as shown in FIG. 6). In Step 710, the memory 1082of the basic input/output system 108 has boot sequence setting valuesBSSV, and the boot sequence setting values BSSV store a code of at leastone device coupled to the system 100. The basic input/output system 108can change the boot sequence setting values BSSV according to theexternal device booting function of the embedded controller 104, or thebasic input/output system 108 can change the boot sequence settingvalues BSSV according to the boot signal BS. Therefore, when the basicinput/output system 108 is woken up according to the boot signal BS, thebasic input/output system 108 can start to boot the at least oneUniversal Serial Bus device first through the platform control hub 106according to the changed boot sequence setting values. Then, the basicinput/output system 108 turns on devices within the system 100 andperipheral devices coupled to the system 100 in turn according to thechanged boot sequence setting values.

To sum up, the system capable of booting through a Universal Serial Busdevice and method thereof utilize the embedded controller to generate aboot signal when the system is powered off and at least one UniversalSerial Bus device is plugged into the Universal Serial Bus port. Then,the basic input/output system can start to boot the at least oneUniversal Serial Bus device first through the platform control hubaccording to changed boot sequence setting values. Thus, the user canplug a Universal Serial Bus device into the system to power on thesystem very conveniently, instead of wasting much time to locate a powerbutton of the system. In addition, the system may not have a hard discas cloud technology advances, so the present invention can also becompatible with a future trend toward the cloud technology.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerousmodifications and alterations of the device and method may be made whileretaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the abovedisclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and boundsof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system capable of booting through a UniversalSerial Bus device, the system comprising: a Universal Serial Bus port;an embedded controller coupled to the Universal Serial Bus port forgenerating a boot signal when the system is powered off and at least oneUniversal Serial Bus device is plugged into the Universal Serial Busport; a platform control hub for being woken up according to the bootsignal; and a basic input/output system coupled to the platform controlhub and the embedded controller, wherein the basic input/output systemhas boot sequence setting values, and the basic input/output systemfirst starts to boot the at least one Universal Serial Bus devicethrough the platform control hub according to the boot sequence settingvalues when the basic input/output system is woken up according to theboot signal.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the embedded controlleris coupled to the Universal Serial Bus port through a General PurposeI/O pin.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the embedded controllergenerates the boot signal according to logic voltage variation of theGeneral Purpose I/O pin.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the logicvoltage variation is variation from a logic-low voltage to a logic-highvoltage, and the logic-high voltage is higher than a first predeterminedvalue.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein the logic voltage variation isvariation from a logic-low voltage to a logic-high voltage, and thelogic-high voltage is higher than a first predetermined value for afirst predetermined period.
 6. The system of claim 3, wherein the logicvoltage variation is variation from a logic-high voltage to a logic-lowvoltage, and the logic-low voltage is lower than a second predeterminedvalue.
 7. The system of claim 3, wherein the logic voltage variation isvariation from a logic-high voltage to a logic-low voltage, and thelogic-low voltage is lower than a second predetermined value for asecond predetermined period.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein theembedded controller is coupled to the Universal Serial Bus port througha logic circuit.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic circuitcomprises: an AND gate having a first input terminal coupled to a pin ofthe Universal Serial Bus port, a second input terminal coupled toanother pin of the Universal Serial Bus port, and an output terminalcoupled to the embedded controller.
 10. The system of claim 9, whereinthe embedded controller generates the boot signal according to logicvoltage variation of the output terminal.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein the logic voltage variation is variation from a logic-lowvoltage to a logic-high voltage, and the logic-high voltage is higherthan a first predetermined value.
 12. The system of claim 10, whereinthe logic voltage variation is variation from a logic-low voltage to alogic-high voltage, and the logic-high voltage is higher than a firstpredetermined value for a first predetermined period.
 13. The system ofclaim 10, wherein the logic voltage variation is variation from alogic-high voltage to a logic-low voltage, and the logic-low voltage islower than a second predetermined value.
 14. The system of claim 10,wherein the logic voltage variation is variation from a logic-highvoltage to a logic-low voltage, and the logic-low voltage is lower thana second predetermined value for a second predetermined period.
 15. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the boot sequence setting values store a codeof at least one device coupled to the system.
 16. A method capable ofbooting through a Universal Serial Bus device, the method comprising: anembedded controller generating a boot signal when the system is poweredoff and at least one Universal Serial Bus device is plugged into aUniversal Serial Bus port; waking up a platform control hub and a basicinput/output system according to the boot signal; and the basicinput/output system first starting to boot the at least one UniversalSerial Bus device through the platform control hub according to bootsequence setting values.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein theembedded controller generates the boot signal according to logic voltagevariation of the General Purpose I/O pin.
 18. The method of claim 17,wherein the logic voltage variation is variation from a logic-lowvoltage to a logic-high voltage, and the logic-high voltage is higherthan a first predetermined value.
 19. The method of claim 17, whereinthe logic voltage variation is variation from a logic-low voltage to alogic-high voltage, and the logic-high voltage is maintained for a firstpredetermined period.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the logicvoltage variation is variation from a logic-high voltage to a logic-lowvoltage, and the logic-low voltage is lower than a second predeterminedvalue.
 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the logic voltage variationis variation from a logic-high voltage to a logic-low voltage, and thelogic-low voltage is maintained for a second predetermined period. 22.The method of claim 16, wherein the embedded controller generates theboot signal according to logic voltage variation of an output terminalof a logic circuit.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the logicvoltage variation is variation from a logic-low voltage to a logic-highvoltage, and the logic-high voltage is higher than a first predeterminedvalue.
 24. The method of claim 22, wherein the logic voltage variationis variation from a logic-low voltage to a logic-high voltage, and thelogic-high voltage is maintained for a first predetermined period. 25.The method of claim 22, wherein the logic voltage variation is variationfrom a logic-high voltage to a logic-low voltage, and the logic-lowvoltage is lower than a second predetermined value.
 26. The method ofclaim 22, wherein the logic voltage variation is variation from alogic-high voltage to a logic-low voltage, and the logic-low voltage ismaintained for a second predetermined period.
 27. The method of claim16, wherein the boot sequence setting values store a code of at leastone device coupled to the system.
 28. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising: enabling an external device booting function; and poweringoff the system.
 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: thebasic input/output system changing the boot sequence setting valuesaccording to the external device booting function.
 30. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising: the basic input/output system changing theboot sequence setting values according to the boot signal.